


The Letter

by CrimeLady



Category: British Actor RPF
Genre: Crimes & Criminals, Death, Fear, Kidnapping, Kissing, Love, Romance, Sex, Suspense
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-12
Updated: 2020-09-25
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:28:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 16,562
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26425681
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrimeLady/pseuds/CrimeLady
Summary: Lucy Wright is an executive at a hospital in Leicester and is passionately committed to the children there. By chance Lucy meets Benedict Cumberbatch and her life is suddenly turned upside down (BenedictCumberbatchxOC(Lucy)
Relationships: Benedict Cumberbatch/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 3





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So this is my first FF to a real person. The plot is of course fictitious and does not correspond to reality at all.  
> The story is set between the years 2012 and 2013.
> 
> By the way, who knows my stories maybe from the other fandom of SherlockBBC, knows that I always have to bring in some kind of tension and a criminal case :D
> 
> So if you expected only romance here, it's best to ignore the story.  
> To all the others I hope you enjoy reading it and I am looking forward to your comments ;)
> 
> And sorry if the translation is not that good ;)

_**Dear Mr. Cumberbatch,** _

_**You probably receive dozens of such letters a day and are also far too busy.** _

_**But there is a little girl who would very much like to meet you.** _

_**Melissa is 10 years old and has been a patient in our cancer ward for 3 years. She is a big fan of Sherlock Holmes and the novels of Sir Arthur C. Doyle and she loves her series "Sherlock" more than anything else.** _

_**The reason why I am writing to you is that the doctors will not give Melissa much longer.** _

_**Melissa is a strong girl and faces death without much fear. But her greatest wish would be to meet you one day.** _

_**I know that would be a lot to ask and I also think that you are very busy with your work at the moment but I ask you to help a little girl to fulfil her dream. I am sure Melissa will also be happy to receive a video message from you!** _

_**Yours sincerely,** _

_**Lucy Wright** _


	2. Chapter 2

It is now one month since I wrote this letter and I have no great hopes of a reply at the moment. 

By the way, my name is Lucy Wright and I am a senior social worker at the hospital in Leicester where Melissa is one of our patients.   
I met Melissa exactly 3 years ago and have been spending every day since then in my spare time with her and the other children.

Today is Friday and our hospital staff are having a little party. I was just sitting over some reports from individual patients when suddenly an excited person stormed into the room. It was Amanda. She is one of the nurses in the cancer ward and she is my best friend.

"Oh my God, Lucy you won't believe it but you'll never guess who's visiting little Melissa right now!" she yelled excitedly.

"Hello Amanda" I laughed.  
"I have no idea. Who is it?"

"Okay, well, look. It's nobody short of..."

She took a break. Classic Amanda. She loves dramatic moments.

"Come on, don't keep me in suspense! Tell me, who is it?" I asked impatiently.

"Benedict Cumberbatch!" she yelled again.

Oh my God. So he was actually here. I really could not believe it. I had openly given up hope a long time ago. But now, of course, I'm happy for Melissa.

"Yeah, I really don't believe that. But I'm happy for our little girl."

"Yes, you can believe it! He arrived about an hour ago and said that there was someone who wanted to see him. You can't imagine how happy Melissa was. And I have to say, he's so nice and he looks so hot already," she raved now.

I rolled my eyes but still had to grin at her statement.  
"And what are you still doing here now? If he's so hot and nice, then get the hell out of here," I joked.

"Ha ha Lucy! You know exactly that I'm in a relationship" she replied in a sarcastic tone.

I know only too well that she is in a relationship. With Eric. He's a resident in another department. He is quite arrogant and takes advantage of his position, especially with the female employees but Amanda doesn't seem to notice or she ignores it. 

"Amanda, I was joking! But I really have to get back to work now. I'd like to leave early today and get ready."

"Oh, right. Okay, I'll leave you alone again and head back downstairs. I'm sure I can still adore a star, even if I have a boyfriend, I'll see you later," she said and said goodbye with a smile.

Shortly before 4 pm I was finally able to finish my work and go home.

I was about to leave my office when there was a knock at the door.   
'Oh no, please no more customers now', I thought to myself.

So I walked towards the door to open it and politely ask the person to come back on Monday.

"Sorry but we've already closed..." I froze when I saw the person standing in front of me. It was none other than Benedict Cumberbatch himself. Of course I knew from Amanda that he would be here but what did he want from me now?

"Oh, excuse me, are you Lucy Wright?" the person asked.

"Uh, yes, I am. Good afternoon Mr. Cumberbatch" I stammered slightly and stepped aside so that he could enter.

After he was in the room, I closed the door and turned back to him.

"Well, what can I do for you, Mr. Cumberbatch?"

"Well, I wanted to meet the person who wrote me this letter. But I think I've come at a bad time. You were obviously about to leave," he noted, stroking his hair with a slight embarrassment.

"Well, the person would have been me and, to be honest, yes, I was on my way home. I'm sorry."  
I was about to continue when I was interrupted by an excited person who suddenly rushed into my office. It was Sam. He had been my colleague for five years and mostly supports me in consulting activities.

"Lucy! We have to --" he said and did not get any further when he saw who was standing there in my office.

"Oh, Mr. Cumberbatch. Hello! I'm Sam Andrews and I'm very pleased to meet you," he introduced himself and held out his hand, which he returned kindly.

"Sam, hello!" I said and smiled at him.  
"What can I do for you?"

"Sorry but I wanted to talk to you again about the party today" he said and scratched his head embarrassed.

"Oh, you're having a party?" it now came from Mr. Cumberbatch.

"Oh, it won't be anything special. Just a little party with a few colleagues" I waved away.

"What do you mean nothing special? After all, it's your birthday, Lu! You should come too. Our parties are always legendary," said Sam enthusiastically.

I looked at him with a warning and frowned.

"Oh, it's your birthday today?" 

"What? Oh no, it's actually not my birthday until tomorrow. And don't take my colleague's offer seriously. Of course we know you can't come. I'm sure you still have a lot to do," I answered him.

"Well, honestly, I have nothing to do and I would love to come by," he replied.

Startled, I looked at him. Sam beside me, smiling over both ears.

"Okay, great! The party starts at 7pm and takes place on the roof terrace. And Lu, will you show Mr. Cumberbatch the way? Then I'll see you later!" he said and disappeared. He didn't even wait for an answer from me.

I gave a deep sigh and let my head hang as I saw Sam storming out the door. Then I turned back to the man. 

"Okay, excuse me but I don't want to throw you out but I really have to go now!" I said with a slight apologetic tone and opened the door for him.

"Oh yes, of course. Sorry for keeping you," he replied friendly.

After I had locked my office I took him to my locker so I could get my bag and showed him the way to the venue today.

"So if you're really planning to come by tonight, you'll just have to take the lift there and go to the 23rd floor," I told him, pointing to the lift at the end of the long corridor.  
"But of course you don't have to do that. Nobody expects it from you, and you probably have better things to do than party with a bunch of hospital staff. As I said, it will just be a small party with some snacks and alcohol, really a lot of alcohol.

"No no, that's okay. I have a few days off and I haven't planned anything else. But I get the feeling that somehow you don't really want me to believe that I'm coming over, Mrs. Wright?"

"What? No, it's okay. But I have to say that I'm actually quite surprised that you came here at all. After last time I didn't expect it and didn't really have high hopes but I am of course very happy for little Melissa.   
And please call me Lucy. Mrs. Wright is my mother and God knows I'm not that old yet" I said and smiled at him. I said goodbye and then disappeared in another direction.


	3. Chapter 3

I arrived at my house two hours before the party started. Since I live a little outside the city, it took me a solid hour to get home.  
The traffic was once again cruel and only stopped after I had left the city.

So I put down my jacket and bag and quickly walked up the stairs to my bedroom and wardrobe. As I'm not very picky about my clothes, I was able to find an outfit that would suit this evening. I decided on a shoulderless knee-length dark blue dress, which was decorated with lace. Matching shoes and a light jacket for the evening. The temperatures in Leicester were already over 25 degrees during the day but at night it could freshen up a bit.  
Then I took a long shower and put on my make-up. As I wear more discreet make-up during my work, I decided to use a little more make-up this time. I also let my brown hair fall over my shoulder open and in slight waves.

I put on my outfit, which I had taken out before, and exchanged my bag for a smaller one. A quick look in the mirror told me that I could go like this and left my flat again a little later. I decided to take the underground for the outward journey.

It was now just before 8 pm when I arrived back at the hospital. I decided to make a short detour to another place.  
Arriving in the lift, I pressed the button with the number 14 and a little later I found myself in the station I had become familiar with.

"Oh, Ms. Lucy," Jeremy said, easily taken in. "You look beautiful," he greeted me slightly embarrassed and tried to distract me.

Jeremy is 15 years old and also a patient on the ward. When he turned 12, he was diagnosed with cancerous cells in his upper arm. Since then, he has been coming here for chemotherapy and other tests. This year it will be decided whether the arm should be amputated or the radiation therapy should be increased. I liked Jeremy. He was very polite and I think he was a little infatuated with me. At least that is what the other children always told me.

"Good evening, Jeremy. Thank you very much but shouldn't you be in your room by now? Sister Agatha will certainly be angry when she sees you here. So you'd better hurry back to your room," I asked him.

Jeremy let his head hang slightly and slowly trotted off.  
I grinned and slowly walked towards my real destination. I saw Sister Agatha sorting some files as she saw me and smiled. Of course, everyone on the ward knew what I had done for little Melissa and also how I was committed to the children. Most of them appreciated that.

I knocked softly on the door and entered.  
Melissa was lying in her bed reading a book. 

"Miss Lucy!" she beamed. "You look like a modern princess! But what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at your party?" she asked me.

"Hello Melissa. I will, but I wanted to visit you again before. And it's not my party," I smiled and then sat down next to her bed.  
"So, I hear you had a special visitor today?" I then asked.

"Oh yes, Ben. He allowed me to call him that, you know. He is so nice. We talked about his series all the time and he even gave me a present," she explained enthusiastically, pointing to the object on her table. On top of it was a hat that was very similar to Sherlock Holmes'.

"I am very happy for you and I am happy when you are. But I'm afraid I have to go now," I said and smiled at her.

I was just leaving when Melissa held me down and pressed her head against me.  
"Thank you, thank you, thank you! I am so grateful for this. Ben had told me that he had received a letter from a certain Lucy Wright," she murmured.

I had to smile and stroked her gently over the head.  
"You're welcome. I really enjoyed it very much"

She let go of me again and I could see tears of joy in her eyes. Gently I took her face in both hands and wiped away the tears with both thumbs. I smiled warmly at her and then slowly walked back to the door.

"So Melissa. Have a good night and we'll see you again on Monday," I said and then left the room.

Sister Agatha was nowhere to be seen. She was probably on her evening tour. As I walked past Jeremy's room, I smiled and winked at him again and then took the lift to the 23rd floor.

The lift doors were not even fully opened when I heard booming music and loud laughter. I hadn't even gotten all the way out when Amanda ran towards me.

"Lucy! There you are at last and oh my God, you look breathtaking," she shouted happily.

Then she grabbed my arm and pulled me towards the bar. Sam stood behind it and was mixing some drinks for the guests.

"Look Sam who's finally here!" 

"Lu, where have you been all this time? You're almost two hours late! But wow! You look really hot. Here, have a drink first," he asked me, holding out a drink.

I knew only too well what it was. He called it "SAM Special" himself and I don't associate good memories with his mix.  
It was back in my early days. I was still relatively new and just at my first hospital party. Sam had dragged me along, so most of the time I just stood around and watched the people around me. I'm actually a very sociable person but I'm a bit more reserved when it comes to new contacts. Sam noticed my intimidated nature and gave me one of his special mixtures. It really tasted very good. It was fruity and refreshing at the same time and you could hardly taste the alcohol. I emptied the cup after a good 10 minutes and then ordered a new one. That was, as it turned out later, a big mistake. You could hardly taste the alcohol, but you could feel it a little later. After the 3rd SAM special I noticed how gradually my inhibitions fell, and I just talked to everyone and everything, whether they wanted to or not. And that's how I got to know Amanda. We had a lot in common and have been inseparable ever since. Yes, and I spent the rest of the night on my knees on the cold tiled floor of my bathroom.

Of course I didn't want to let it happen again but I didn't want to be rude either, so I accepted the glass with thanks. I toasted with both of them and hoped for a nice evening.  
"Thank you and I'm sorry I'm late but I stopped by to see Melissa" I said apologetically.

Both smiled at me with understanding. Sam then settled down on one of the barstools next to me and Amanda apologised briefly to leave.

"And how is the little one? You really made a lot possible for her and I'm sure she's very grateful, aren't you?" Sam asked.

"She's doing as well as can be expected. But she's a strong girl and yes she was very happy and told me all about her visit this afternoon without a single word" I laughed and took a sip.

"And what do you think Mr. Cumberbatch will come today?" he asked expectantly.

"Oh, Sam, don't be silly. It's nine o'clock now. I don't think he wanted to come at all. I think he just wanted to be polite and not refuse your offer.

Sam looked disappointed and then took a strong sip of his drink. But then his face suddenly lit up.

"Oh, you really think so?" he asked and beamed at me.

I looked in the direction Sam was looking and truly, there he stood. Benedict Cumberbatch himself. So he had really come and was now standing in the middle of a crowd of people signing autographs or taking photos.

"How cool is that? Lucy, Sam did you see who's there?" It was Amanda who had just stormed back towards us.  
"Come Lu, let's go see him too" she asked me and pulled my hand.

I stopped her.  
"No, Amanda is waiting. I don't want to annoy him too. He has enough to do with the others. I'd rather stay here. But if you want to go, then go."

She looked at me confused, shrugged her shoulders and then finally turned and disappeared.  
Meanwhile I continued talking to Sam.  
Dr Lydia Arthurs joined us a little later to order a new drink. She is the ward physician on the ward where Melissa is lying and maybe a few years older than me.

"Ms. Wright. Good to see you. I wanted to thank you again for what you have done for little Melissa. She really appreciates her very much and we are lucky to have such a great employee in our hospital," she replied kindly.

"I did it with pleasure and I really like Melissa and the other children very much. I would do a lot of things just to make sure that the children are doing reasonably well," I said and smiled at her.

"And have you met Mr. Cumberbatch yet?" she then asked.

I explained to her briefly that he came to see me briefly this afternoon and also that Sam had invited him.

"Well Mr. Andrews then we must be very grateful to you," she replied and then leaned closer to me.

"To be honest I'm a big fan" she whispered softly to me and laughed.  
Then she took a new drink, wished us a nice evening and disappeared again in the crowd.

Sam smiled at me knowingly and I too had to grin. His gaze froze suddenly and as I looked around I could see why. Mr. Cumberbatch stood a few metres behind me.

"Hello, Mrs. Wright. Oh, I'm sorry, Lucy. May I sit down?" he asked politely and smiled at me.

I turned to the voice. I was amazed that he remembered my name.  
"Oh, hello, Mr. Cumberbatch. So you came after all? Of course, sit down," I answered him, pointing to the seat next to me.

He was about to say something back when Sam interrupted him.  
"Mr. Cumberbatch... I'm glad you could make it. Can I get you something to drink?"

"Well, I don't know. What's this SAM special that most people around here talk about? It sounds very interesting," he asked.

Sam grinned and was about to start preparing it.

"I wouldn't do that" I stopped him. Regardless of the fact that suddenly my hand was on his forearm.  
He looked down at it, smiled slightly and when I noticed, I pulled it away in horror.

"Excuse me" I murmured "but I'd rather take something else."

He ordered a gin and tonic and then turned back to me.

"So, you seem pretty surprised to see me here? And I must admit I was a little offended by what you said. You don't think much of us actors, do you?"

I just took a sip of my drink and suddenly choked on his words. I saw Sam smiling at me.

"No way. I'm glad you're here, Mr. Cumberbatch. And I'm sorry I offended you. But since the last time, I have been relatively sceptical about actors or any celebrities. But I must admit that Melissa was right. You are not like the others. You really are very nice," I smiled and then looked embarrassed at my glass.

"Well, I'm glad to hear that. But may I ask what happened last time?"

I sighed, took another sip and then began to talk.

"It was about three years ago. We had a boy back at the ward, Tommy. Tommy was 13 years old with leukemia. The doctors thought that if a suitable donor was not found soon, he would unfortunately not live to see his 14th birthday. Tommy was a total fan of the Fast & Furious series and also of Vin Diesel. He was desperate to meet him again before he died. He wrote him a letter. Unfortunately he did not get an answer. He had been devastated. I felt so sorry for him."

I saw Mr. Cumberbatch listening to me attentively the whole time.  
"I'm sorry about that. I can understand, of course, that you're not very happy with us about this. What actually happened to Tommy?"

"He died. No suitable donor could be found and four months before his birthday his heart stopped beating," I explained. I noticed a little sadness coming over me.

He noticed it too, of course, and laid a hand on mine to comfort me. I looked first at this one and then at him. He smiled at me with compassion. 

"Well, it's been so many years now" I said and carefully pulled my hand out from under his. The feeling that his touch was triggering inside me frightened me a little. "But at least little Melissa could have her wish fulfilled. Thank you very much indeed for making this possible, Mr. Cumberbatch. She is so happy"

"I enjoyed it and Melissa is really an amazing girl. I like her. Oh, and call me Benedict or Ben. Mr. Cumberbatch kind of sounds like an older man and I'm really not that old yet," he said and laughed.

Of course, I heard him use exactly the same words that I had said to him earlier. I smiled too.  
I was just about to order a drink from Sam when I noticed that he had disappeared. I was sitting alone at the bar with Benedict.

"Lucy?" he asked now. "Why did you become a social worker?"

"Well, I just wanted a job where I could write letters to stars like you," I replied with a smile.

I noticed his somewhat suspicious look and had to laugh.

"It was just a joke, of course!" I said, still laughing.

"I honestly do not know. Somehow I always felt that I have a sensitive and helpful streak and I wanted to help and support people who have a hard time in our society to cope in their lives. I just think these disadvantages that people experience are unfair and I wanted to do something about it", I told him.

We continued talking for a while. Ben always wanted to know more about me and my life in Leicester. Melissa and Amanda were really right, he was really nice and completely different than I had thought. A look at my mobile phone showed me that we had been sitting here for a good 2 hours and it was only 15 minutes to midnight. I was about to call his attention when Sam showed up again.

"Lu, I don't want to disturb you but I think Amanda is not feeling so well. She just caught Eric with nurse Tessa and ran away completely upset," he said.

"I think I'd better go and check on her," I said apologetically to Ben and stood up.

I ran in the direction where Amanda had disappeared a few minutes ago and saw her leaning against the wall a little later. She sobbed. I approached her and finally took her in my arms.

"Ssshh" I tried to calm her down.  
"What happened?"

Amanda told me what had just happened and continued sobbing.  
I gently stroked her back.

"You know he's an ass and you deserve someone much better. He's not worth it!" I replied to her.  
"Lu, I know. You're right but he was so kind and gentle with me. But honestly, I've always known it. I just didn't want to admit it," she said and slowly separated herself from me.

I smiled sympathetically and carefully wiped the tears from her cheeks.

"Oh, Lu, what is it with these men?" she asked and slowly stood at the edge of the terrace.

"Don't ask me. I don't have anyone at the moment, and honestly, I think I'll ever have anything like that again. Somehow I always seem to end up with the wrong people or just being the buddy type," I replied and stood beside her.

She turned to me in horror.  
"What do you mean by that?"

"Well, just look at yourself and then look at me." and showed gesturing between the two of us.

"Lu, this is bullshit. I have only seen again today how many of our colleagues almost had their eyes dropped out at the sight of you. You must not make yourself worse than you are. I know you didn't exactly hit the jackpot with your ex, but you can't let that get you down. You are a strong, confident and above all a very attractive woman!" 

I was just about to say something back when a voice interrupted us.  
"She's right. And forgive me but today of all days you look really beautiful.

Startled, we both turned to the voice. It was Benedikt who was now standing there slightly embarrassed.

He cleared his throat shortly before continuing.  
"Excuse me but your friend Mr. Andrews told me to bring you to the front. It's almost midnight."

I thanked him, and then I pulled Amanda with me. I felt his look as I walked past him and lowered my head embarrassed. I could not believe what he had just said. As I thought of his words again, I suddenly felt a slight tingling in my stomach. 

A short time later I reached the place where I had left Ben before. It was quiet. Suddenly I felt one of my colleagues pushing me into the middle of the terrace and a little later I heard everyone singing "Happy Birthday" together. Sam and a few others came in. In their hands was a huge rectangular cake decorated with the number 35.  
'Great, did you really have to write my age on it?' I thought to myself and rolled my eyes.

When they had finished singing, they stood in front of me with the cake and told me to blow out the candles. I did it the first time and everyone applauded. Amanda and Sam were the first to pull me into their arms and congratulate me. After all my colleagues had congratulated me, Sam handed me two glasses of champagne. Confused, I looked at him and he indicated to me to go to our special guest with the second glass.

I saw that Ben was standing a bit away from the others, typing on his mobile phone. Perhaps he was calling a taxi. On the one hand I didn't want him to leave but I was surprised that he had stayed so long.

"Would you like something to drink?" I asked slightly shyly and offered him a glass.

Ben smiled and took it off with thanks. Then he put it down next to him and slowly approached me. He was now standing very close in front of me and looked deep into my eyes. Then he whispered "Happy Birthday" to me softly and hugged me. I was still holding my glass in my hand so it was difficult to return his hug but I knew I could stand here with him like this forever.

"Happy Birthday LuLu!"

I instantly stiffened and Ben seemed to notice. He broke away from me and looked at me in wonder. I didn't say, but turned around slowly.

"Liam! What are you doing here?" I asked in a shaky voice.

"Today is your birthday after all and I wanted to see you. Can we talk?" he then asked me.

"I wouldn't know what there is to talk about! And now please leave!"

"Please LuLu. I want to apologize. Please. I won't leave until you talk to me," he replied.

I turned back to Ben, looked at him apologetically and sighed. Then I turned away, put my glass down and walked Liam to the place where I was standing with Amanda earlier. I didn't know why he was actually here. I felt a strange feeling of fear but I also knew that Liam wouldn't do anything when there were so many people around him.

"So what are you doing here and how did you find me?" I asked him.

"I told you already. It's your birthday and I wanted to surprise you. Oh, and you should probably be careful what kind of pictures are put on the internet" he explained to me.

Which pictures? What was he talking about? I have never put any photos on the internet. I knew exactly why.

"What pictures? I didn't put any pictures on the Internet?" 

"No, you didn't, but your girlfriend did. What was her name? Oh yes, Amanda or something," he said with a smug grin.

I didn't reply and waited for him to continue.

"Lucy, I want you back! I'm sorry about what happened!"

"Liam, an apology is not enough. I left for a good reason and now please leave," I asked him gently.

"NO! I'm not leaving. Don't you understand? I love you and I want you to come back to me! Or do you already have someone new? Is it that guy there? Is that your new guy?" he asked. He sounded angry.

"You are crazy! Now leave me alone and go!" I yelled.

"Be quiet!" he yelled and grabbed me roughly by my shoulders. I convulsively tried to free myself from his grip but he was stronger.  
"I will not let you go. You belong to me and you will stay with me! And now stop resisting," he said with a challenge and suddenly raised his right hand.  
He stopped suddenly when a "HEY!" interrupted him.

"The lady told you to leave her alone!"  
I heard Ben's voice behind me.

Liam looked down at me. There was anger in his eyes. Then he turned away from me and went in the direction where Ben was standing.

"Who are you, huh? Are you their new lover? Are you screwing her? Get out of here. She's mine!" he yelled at him and was about to punch him in the face with his fist.  
But Ben stopped him, pushed him away from him and Liam fell to the floor.

"GET OUT OF HERE!" cried Ben now.  
Liam was still angry, I could feel it, but he knew he wouldn't have a chance. Full of rage he stood up.  
"You'll pay for this, little bitch!" he yelled at me and then disappeared.

I stood there frozen. I could not move. I felt my knees soften and slowly give way. Ben rushed to me and stopped me before I could fall to the ground. He pulled me into his arms and slowly the tears rolled. I sobbed against his chest and shivered all over my body. He seemed to notice this and gently put his jacket around me.  
I slowly separated myself from him and looked up at him. 

"Thank you" I whispered softly and tried to smile.

Ben didn't reply, just smiled at me sympathetically. Then he gently raised his hand and gently wiped the tears from my face. At that moment I felt a strange power between us and he seemed to notice it too. He slowly bent his face towards mine. He was now very close to me. I could literally feel his breath. I felt excitement and I wanted so much that he would kiss me.  
Just before his lips could meet mine, I recoiled when I heard my name calling from afar.

"LUCY!"  
Amanda ran towards us and screamed my name in panic.  
Ben and I quickly released from the hug and put some distance between us.

"Oh my God, Lucy! Are you okay?" she asked.  
"I saw you leave with a young man and you looked pretty scared. Are you all right?"

"Yes, Amanda, thank you. That was Liam. He was angry and wanted to attack me but Ben could stop him," I told her and smiled at Ben.

She took a deep breath.  
"Well, it's good that you were there then" she said to him, patting his shoulder lightly.

"But wait? You mean that was Liam? Your ex Liam? How did he find you?" 

"He said he'd seen some pictures of me on the Internet.

Amanda guiltily lowered her head.  
"Oh"

But before she could speak any further, Ben interrupted her.  
"Excuse me but I think I'll be going now. You have someone to look after you now. It was a pleasure to have met you. Goodbye!" he said and hugged me goodbye.

He turned away, turned to Amanda, nodded at her with a little smile and then left.

Amanda spoke again but I couldn't understand what she was saying. I just stood there and looked in the direction he had gone.

"HELLO? EARTH TO LUCY? Did you hear what I said?"  
Amanda waved her hand in front of my face and only then did I break out of my trance.

"Huh? What? I'm sorry, what did you say?"

"Oh, boy, Lu, you're really busted up, huh? I said it was probably my fault with the picture."

"What? No, I'm not in love! No, I'm not in love! And yes, I know Liam mentioned your name."

"Lu, I'm sorry. "It was a picture from our last Christmas party and since you hadn't heard from him in years, I figured it was a done deal. I didn't want that!" she sobbed.

"Well now there is no way to undo it. It just happened," I was annoyed. How could she risk my safety like that. For once she knew what was happening. But I couldn't be angry with her for long and when I heard her burst into tears next to me, I pulled her into my arms.

"I am not angry with you. You know I can't stay angry with you for long" I comforted her.

She sniffed and then withdrew slightly. When she saw that I smiled at her, she smiled too.

"Thanks Lu. You're really a great friend."  
"But now for something different. What's the deal with you and Benedict Cumberbatch?"

I looked at her in horror.  
"What? There is nothing going on. We were just talking and he was helping me with Liam. There's nothing going on," I explained, hoping that she would buy it from me.

Of course she did not.

"I see, and that's why you call him Ben, you've just been talking to him all evening and now you're wearing his jacket," she said and smiled at me knowingly.

His jacket. His jacket. Oh, my God. I forgot to give it back to him when he had said goodbye. Anyway, I now had a memento of him.

"He only offered it to me because I had offered it to him before, and besides, I was just being polite. And anyway, what would he want with someone like me? I'm just a simple social worker and he is a famous actor. He is more interested in people from his industry anyway. And besides, I won't see him again anyway!"

"Oh, Lucy. You are not just a simple person. You have a very interesting personality. And besides, he hasn't let you out of his sight all evening. "If you could have seen the way he looked at you... But you're probably right, you won't be able to see him again. He's probably already on his way back to London.  
"Now, come on, let's not spoil our evening It's your birthday after all," she said and then pulled me along.


	4. Chapter 4

I woke up the next morning by the buzzing of my telephone. A glance at my watch told me that it was only 9 o'clock. I wondered who could that be so early. My friends and colleagues are probably still asleep too. After all, I didn't leave the party until 3 o'clock in the morning and even then, it wasn't over yet.

Carefully I reached for my mobile phone, which was on the table next to my bed. It took a short time for my eyes to get used to the bright light. I opened my messages and recognised a number unknown to me. A shiver ran down my spine and I got goose bumps when I thought it could be Liam. With trembling fingers I opened the message.

**Unknown**

**Good morning.**   
**I hope I didn't wake you up? If I did, I apologize.**   
**Are you feeling any better?**

**Benedict C.**

Oh, my God. I can't believe it. The message wasn't from Liam. Benedict Cumberbatch wrote me but how did he get my number? I don't remember giving it to him.

_Good morning!_   
_Honestly, yes, but it's not that bad._   
_Thanks. I'm all right, considering the circumstances of last night._   
_I had a pleasant evening, though. I suppose it was probably due to Sam's special drink :)_   
_But tell me, how did you get my number?_

I didn't have to wait long, when I got the signal of a new text message.

**That sounds good.**   
**This SAM special seems to work wonders.**   
**Forgive me but I got your number from the information desk. I hope you don't mind?**   
**I actually wanted to ask you if you would like to have lunch with me today?**   
**I would like to continue our conversation from yesterday.**   
**Or do you have other birthday plans?**

I looked with astonishment at the last lines he had written to me. He had invited me for lunch. I could hardly believe my luck but I also knew that I shouldn't get too excited about it.

_If you really want to, very much._   
_Just tell me the time and place and I will be there!_

**Of course I want to!**   
**I'm staying at the Mercure- Grand Hotel.**   
**Shall we say 11:30?**   
**I look forward to seeing you again!**

He's looking forward to seeing me again? Okay, this is weird. Maybe Amanda was right about what she said after all. Of course, I didn't notice the way he was looking at me the whole time. I was kind of too embarrassed and more concerned with not seeming too nervous. I quickly wrote him a reply

_Okay. Then I'll see you later ;)_

then slowly got out of bed and slurped into the bathroom. Even though I was excited, I was still pretty exhausted from last night. A refreshing shower should get my circulation going again. And if not, then there is still coffee.

After about an hour, I stood completely aimlessly in front of my wardrobe.  
What should I wear?' I thought as I rummaged through my clothes.  
I knew that the Mercure belonged to a rather upper class and that there was a certain dress code. I wasn't sure where he wanted to go for dinner either. I finally decided on my black sheath dress and pumps. I put a light blazer over it. I tied my hair back in single strands and put on a light day make-up.

A quick look at the clock told me that I had to be at the hotel in an hour. I quickly packed my things in my bag and went out the door. Today I decided to drive into town in my own car. Today was Saturday and the weather was beautiful again. The streets will be crowded again, so I had to hurry.

I arrived ten minutes earlier than agreed at the hotel. I parked my car in a side street and walked the last bit.  
I expected Benedict to be waiting for me somewhere in the hotel. I entered quickly and had to swallow first when I saw this amazing hall. There was a staircase in front of me and Greek-style columns on the sides of this one. The ceiling was huge and at the top it was a glass dome. A large chandelier hung in the middle of the hall and enveloped the room in warm light.  
I felt slightly unwell. Everything was so noble. I decided to wait for him a little further away.  
After about five minutes, a young gentleman approached me. He was wearing a black suit and the colours of the hotel. I concluded that he must be an employee in a higher position in the hotel. On his name badge I saw that his name was Paul Richfield.

"Excuse me, madam, are you Mrs Lucy Wright?" he asked me, mustering me slightly.

"Ms Lucy Wright, please, and yes, I am," I corrected him.

"Mr. Cumberbatch is waiting for you. Please follow me" he instructed me.

Contrary to what he thought he was leading me to the restaurant, he took me to a lift that was a little off the beaten track. He pointed me to enter and then pressed a button with a number unknown to me. The numbers were all written as numbers except this one. This one was marked in Greek. A little later the car doors opened and I was standing in a long corridor with 2 wider and 4 narrower doors on each side. Paul led me to one of the double doors. He opened it and I stood in a suite. One moment a suite?  
Paul closed the doors and then led me outside to the terrace. It was spacious and framed by glass walls. At the other end was a large table with two chairs. In front of it was a large cart with food on it. Benedict was sitting on one of the chairs. He had already noticed us and was now slowly coming in our direction.

"Lucy, how nice that you have come!" he greeted me friendly as always and gave me a light hug.

Paul next to me cleared his throat briefly.  
"May I have something else, sir?" he asked afterwards.

Benedict denied and thanked me. Paul nodded and then disappeared.

"Come, sit down. By the way, I took the liberty of ordering the food. I hope you like pasta?" he said and pushed me decisively with his hand on my back towards the chairs. Very gentlemanly he pushed my chair back so I could sit down. Then he sat down opposite me.  
He seemed to notice my astonished look when he suddenly asked:  
"Is everything okay? Is anything wrong?"

"What? No, everything's fine but excuse me, I was actually expecting something else. I thought we were going to have lunch in a restaurant somewhere," I then explained to him.

"Well, I preferred something more private. But if you'd prefer to go to a leftover --"

"No no. It's all right!" I interrupted him frantically.

He smiled at me. Oh, my God, that smile. I caught myself staring at him and then looked away quickly. Oh man, what is wrong with me? I'm not usually like this.

"You have a beautiful view from up here. WOW. Not even from the roof terrace of the hospital you can see so much of the city" I tried to distract myself.

"That's true. And honestly, I think Leicester is beautiful. Well, at least from up here."

"That's true. If you like, I could show you the city if you like. You know, as a thank you for what you've done for Melissa. Although I don't think you'll have time for that any more," I said slightly disappointed.

"I would like that. Maybe today?" he asked hopefully.

"Well, I'd love to do that but I don't think I'm properly dressed for a city walk," I said, pointing down at myself.

He also looked at me.  
"Oh yes of course. Although I have to say that you look very pretty again, of course I agree with you. But of course we can go to your house first and you can put on something more comfortable" he suggested.  
"If you have that much time. I live about an hour's drive from the city.

Ben just said it would be no problem. Then he pulled me upstairs. He was already pointing me in the direction of going inside because he had to make a quick phone call. Only a few minutes later he came and opened the door for me. We took the lift all the way down to the underground car park. There a black car with tinted windows was already waiting for us. The driver opened the door for us.

"Where to, sir?"  
I gave Ben my address and he drove off.


	5. Chapter 5

An hour later the driver stopped at my house. I opened my door and stepped aside so Ben could enter.

"Please sit down. Make yourself at home. Would you like something to drink, tea, water, coffee or something?" I asked.

"Thank you. Tea would be nice," he replied. He seemed absent. I noticed how attentively he looked at my rooms and furnishings.   
I went into the kitchen and prepared the tea. Ben complimented me on my flat and a little later I returned with a cup of tea. 

"If you like you can wait outside on the terrace" I told him and then handed him the cup.  
I quickly climbed up my stairs to my wardrobe and chose something more appropriate. I decided on jeans, sneakers and a simple white shirt. As I walked past the window of my bedroom, I saw Ben entering my garden.  
I quickly changed my bag and went outside to see him.  
Ben was standing by my roses and lightly brushed them with his hands.

"They are my pride and joy, you know. Well, actually the whole garden"

Ben turned to me and smiled.  
"It's a really beautiful place you've created"

"Thank you very much. I am also really glad I have it. Sometimes after a stressful day I like to retreat here and let bygones be bygones. Sometimes I just paint" 

"You paint?" he asked me astonished.

"Well, I try to, at least" I replied with a shrug of the shoulders.  
"It just helps me switch off and visualise my thoughts and feelings."   
"Do you perhaps have a picture here that you have painted?" he asked curiously.

"Of course. There is one hanging in the living room above the fireplace.   
He seemed quite surprised, then ran past me at a rapid pace and stopped in front of the fireplace.  
"You painted this?" he asked in amazement.

I wondered why he was like that. Was it so terrible or could he just not imagine that I was capable of it?

"Yes, why? Does it look that bad?" I then asked cautiously.

"No, of course not. I find it fascinating and I discover another interesting side of you" he replied to me.

Relieved I took a breath and then turned away from him. I picked up my bag and indicated to him that I was ready to leave.  
He understood and then followed me back to the car.

While we were on our way back to the city, I asked him what he would like to start his tour of the city with.  
He just shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't know. Unfortunately I don't know. The best way to begin is for you to show me your favourite places in the city".

I wanted to avoid the usual tourist tours and so I decided to take us first to the old part of Leicester. The city has gained its charm through its old buildings in a predominantly Victorian style. From the _old clock tower_ to the _Haymarket Theater_ and the _Centre of Richard III_ we explored the city together. 

At the end of the day we found ourselves walking through the Abbey Park. Benedict asked me which of the places I visited today was my absolute favourite.

"Well honestly, it's this one. This is where I always come when I need to clear my head. Everything seems so quiet and peaceful and I can just switch off perfectly here" I answered him.

"It's just a pity that I'll probably have to leave all this again soon" I said sadly.

Startled, he turned to me and asked why.

"It's because of Liam. I have to go," I sighed.

He cleared his throat.  
"Please forgive my curiosity but what is it about this Liam?" he asked curiously.

"I honestly don't want to burden you with my problems," I replied to him.

"You don't do that. I would like to know. He already seemed quite threatening to you. 

I gave a deep sigh and then I began to talk.

"Well, I think I need to go a little further. I'm honestly not from Leicester, let alone England. I was born and raised in a small town near New York City. I was working as a social worker in a psychiatric institution and that's where I met Liam Drake. Of course, not in the way you think. He was also a staff member in another field and not a patient. I met him 7 years ago and we quickly became a couple. In the beginning everything was great. He was totally sweet and charming to me. But at some point he showed his true colours. He was totally jealous and controlling. I wasn't even allowed to talk to another man, let alone colleagues, without him freaking out. Over the years he became more and more possessive. His hand also slipped quickly and he regularly punched me in the face. I separated from him as a result. But he did not leave me alone. He followed me wherever I went and constantly sent flowers or chocolates to my home. I did not react. Then one night I woke up from a nightmare and saw that he had crept to my bed and was watching me. In his hand was one of my kitchen knives. He said that I belonged only to him and if I didn't do what he wanted, he would kill me. That night he raped me for the first time.  
I went to the local police the next day. But somehow they could not or would not help me. So I continued to seek advice from a victim organisation. But even they only advised me to go to the police.   
After Liam had attacked me two more times, I decided to flee. I was looking for a new job and quickly found one. They said that my place of work would be in Leicester, England and I quickly agreed. So I quit my job, my flat, said goodbye to my family and moved to Leicester, hoping he wouldn't find me. I had not seen or heard from Liam for five years until yesterday..."

I finished my story and noticed a tear slowly rolling down my face. Benedict sat stunned and stared at me. Then at some point he found his language again.

"Lucy, this is horrible. You have to go to the police with this!" he asked me.

"Like I just told you, they won't do anything."   
I sounded angrier than I wanted to.

"But you can't run from him forever. There must be something you can do!" His voice also grew louder.

I turned away embarrassed and lowered my head.  
"I don't know" I said in a desperate tone.

He was about to say something, but I cut him off. I did not want to discuss it with him now.

"Okay, now. Is there anything else you'd like to see. We still have a little time"  
A glance at the clock told me that it was only shortly before 6 pm.

Benedict sighed, but then spoke.  
"Well actually I'm a little hungry and would like to have dinner now"

"I can recommend a great little restaurant. It is just around the corner" I suggested.

"Actually, I would like to eat at the hotel," he said apologetically.

"Oh, of course. Then we will go back now. My car is at the hotel anyway," I replied, a little disappointed.  
The drive to the hotel didn't take long as Abbey Park was only about 20 minutes away. The driver let us out again in the underground car park. I was about to say goodbye to Benedict when he stopped me.

"Would you mind joining me again?" he asked, slightly embarrassed.  
"I would like to thank you for today." 

"You don't have to do that. I was happy to do it and it was a thank you from me," I told him.

"Let's just say that I would like to invite you to her birthday.  
He did not let up. I found it very charming and to be honest I enjoyed the day with him very much today. 

"Okay but will we be eating up on your terrace again?" I asked and looked down at myself. I was now clearly not dressed appropriately for the Mercure Grand Hotel.

"Of course, if you like. So you'll come?" he asked, holding out my arm.

Arriving upstairs in his suite, he asked me what I would like to have. I wasn't picky, he should just order what he wanted.  
I stepped out onto the terrace and went to the parapet. The weather had gradually changed and dark clouds were slowly gathering in the background. I just hoped it would last.

After half an hour there was another knock on the door and the waiter came in with our food. He slowly approached me with the cars and wished me a good evening.

"The sky does not look good tonight. Are you sure you want to dine out here, Madame?" he then asked me slightly sceptically.

"Oh, it'll be all right" I said and smiled at him.

He then said goodbye and a little later Benedict came out again.

"Oh, that doesn't look good. Hopefully it will hold out," he then said and looked up.

I then had to smile and he looked at me in slight surprise. I briefly explained to him that the waiter had meant something similar.

Now he laughed too. We were about to start eating when we suddenly felt light raindrops falling on us. We grinned at each other knowingly and then quickly packed all our things. But the rain was faster and suddenly we found ourselves in a heavy downpour. 

How fitting that I had chosen a white shirt today' I thought and turned my eyes inside out.

We ran into the room as fast as we could, then closed the door and leaned against it laughing.   
After a short moment he stopped and then asked:  
"Why are we laughing?"

"I have no idea," I said and I was still laughing. He joined in again.

We laughed for a few more minutes and stood there completely soaked. The water dripped from our hair and clothes.

"Although I find your laughter quite attractive" he said and laughed on.

I paused when I heard what he had just said. Suddenly I felt slightly uncomfortable, especially because my shirt had now become completely transparent.   
Ben noticed that I had become calm.

"What's wrong? Did I say something wrong?" he then asked slightly startled and turned to me.

"I... I... I think I should go slowly. I need to go home and take a shower and change my clothes" I stammered.

"You could shower here too and I'll let your clothes dry in the meantime" he then suggested.

But I declined. I hugged him briefly to say goodbye, thanked him again for the beautiful day today and was just about to turn away from him when he held me by my wrist and turned back to face him.

"Lucy, please promise me that you will take care of yourself and if you need help, call me!"

My breath stopped when I felt how close he was to me. His hand was on my cheek. I could not say anything, instead I just nodded and smiled goodbye.


	6. Chapter 6

I arrived in my driveway forty minutes later. The weather had deteriorated further. It was raining cats and dogs and in the meantime the wind had increased considerably. I ran to my front door as fast as I could and was about to unlock it when I noticed a package on the floor.  
Strange, the mail was already through by noon today,' I thought to myself.  
There was no sender marked. I picked it up quickly and entered my flat.

Inside I put down my bag and walked to my coffee table with the parcel in my hand. I had a strange feeling, but I was curious all the same.  
Slowly I opened the box and when I saw what the contents of these packages were, my blood froze in my veins instantly.

There was another box. It was red. It was one that was used for chocolates but higher, and inside the box was a heart. A real heart, probably a cow's heart, and inside it was a knife. And on it I found a note that said:  
 ** _"If I can't have you, no one can have you!"_**

I froze and let the package sink. He knows where I live! Suddenly I no longer felt safe. I quickly took my phone and pressed call.   
Seconds later I heard the phone being picked up at the other end.

**Lucy? Hello?**   
_Ben, something's happened. Can you come here, please?_   
**Of course, but what's wrong?**   
_Later. Can you come?_   
**I'm on my way!**

And then he hung up. I didn't even bother to call him on first-name terms. I could have called Amanda or Sam but somehow I dialled his number and I wanted him to be with me. Besides, he told me to call if I needed help and I wanted to and couldn't be alone now. I was scared.

I was sitting on my couch completely motionless and staring at the parcel in front of me when suddenly there was a knock at the door. Carefully and with shaky legs I slowly walked to the door and looked through the peephole. I realised it was Benedict and opened the door and let him in.

Before I closed the door, I took one last look around outside. I realised that it was now very stormy and a thunderstorm had come up. Then I closed it again and locked it at the same time.

Ben turned to me and looked at me with concern.

"Lucy, what's wrong? You look as white as a sheet!" 

I didn't say anything, just pointed my finger at the package.  
He also looked in that direction and then went to that spot. Carefully he lifted it up and dropped it again immediately when he saw the contents.

"I know you don't like to hear it but you really should ---"

"...go to the police. I know. But I don't think I can do it alone" I said in a shaky voice.

Ben came towards me and took me in his arms.  
"I'll go with you if you'll let me.

I just nodded.

"You're trembling. Are you all right?" he then stated.

I separated myself from him and looked at him.

"I haven't had a chance to change my clothes yet" I said then only.

He looked down at me for a moment and then continued.  
"Then I would suggest that you do so as soon as possible. I'll stay here and in the morning we'll go to the police together!"  
I looked at him in horror.  
"But...but I don't want you to get involved in this now" I stuttered slightly.  
"Oh, he already thinks I'm your new friend anyway," he waved.  
"Besides, he must not get away with it. He must be stopped!"

Of course he was right. Liam must not win. I have to end this once and for all and I can't run again.  
I smiled slightly and then went up the stairs to my bathroom.

On the landing I stopped briefly and called out to him:  
"If you like, you can make yourself some tea or something. And I think there's a bottle of whiskey or bourbon or something in the cupboard."

  
I was in the hot shower for quite a while. It took a while for my body to warm up again. When I was done, I just stood in front of my bathroom mirror with a towel on to remove the rest of my make-up.  
There was a knock and I indicated that he could come in.

When the door opened and Benedict saw me standing there with just a towel, he suddenly turned his gaze away and stared down embarrassed.

"Uh, sorry, I'll ask you later" he said, slightly insecure.

"Don't be silly! We are both adults. So what do you want?"

"Well, um... well... I wanted to ask where to find the thermostat. It's getting pretty chilly downstairs," he babbled.

"I'm sorry about that. The heating is broken but we can light the fireplace. I'll be done in a moment and then I'll come down."

He nodded and left me alone afterwards.

A little later, warmed up and changed, I stepped down the stairs again. As I entered the living room I recognised Benedict sitting on the couch with a blanket over his shoulders and a glass of bourbon. He had already lit the fireplace and another glass was on the table. He had put the parcel aside.  
He smiled when he saw me and then handed me the second glass. 

"I hope you're feeling a little better now?" he then asked me as I sat down next to him.

"Thanks, yes. I'm definitely warmer again" I smiled.

"By the way, you have a very interesting selection of books. You seem to have a great interest in criminology. You would arouse great interest in Sherlock Holmes" he joked now.

"So, what else do you usually do, I mean in the evening?" he then asked. 

"I usually read a bit more, but I think I've had enough excitement for today. Or I watch my series a little more until I finally fall asleep," I grinned.

"And what are you looking at?"

"Well, to be honest, I'm watching two series at the same time. On the one hand, I've just started watching the series _"Elementary"_ again. I had already started it back in the USA but I couldn't go on watching it."

"And what's the other series?"

Embarrassed I looked at the floor. I took a strong sip from my glass.

"This is a bit embarrassing for me now. After I had often talked to Melissa about her favourite series, I started watching it again. After all, I had to be able to talk to her somehow", I apologised. I felt the blush shoot into my face.

He seemed to be amused because he grinned mischievously at me.

"But of course we can look or do something else?"

Oh God, that sounded rather ambiguous.

"I meant (Oh God, I don't know what else I meant) talk about my books or something," I tried to save myself somehow.

He kept smiling. Oh God, that was embarrassing. I wanted to sink into the ground. So I was all the more surprised when he suggested that a little television wouldn't be so bad. We decided on his series Sherlock. He often gave some arguments about different scenes and how the shooting of the individual scenes was and what had sometimes gone wrong. It was very interesting and I often had to laugh.

Around 23:00 I gradually got tired and I felt my eyes slowly falling. 

"I think I will go to sleep slowly. It was quite an exhausting day after all. There are fresh towels and a new toothbrush in the bathroom. The bed is also freshly made" I replied to him then.

Ben looked at me in wonder.

"What? You think I'd let you sleep on my little couch?"

"Yes, but I'm your guest. I can't ask you to sleep on the couch while I take your bed."

"Exactly. You're my guest, and besides, I've slept on the couch many times, so all is well" I tried to calm him down.  
"And now I bid you good night!"

He still looked at me quite confused, but finally got up and slowly walked towards the stairs.

"Is that really okay with you?" he asked again.

I just smiled and then he went up and wished me good night as well. I put the package in the kitchen. I couldn't and wouldn't sleep next to a pierced heart. Then I turned out the lights and went to sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

As suspected, I could not sleep very well. The storm outside was whipping and the rain was pattering against my windows. I was tossing and turning all the time. Again and again I saw Liam in front of me. How he pressed the knife to my throat and then raped me. And then the image of the heart with the knife came into my mind.

_"No, go away! Leave me! Leave me alone!"_

"Lucy! Wake up, Lucy!"

I startled when I suddenly heard my name and felt two hands on my shoulders. Scared, I opened my eyes. Through the incoming moonlight I could see that Ben was sitting next to me on the couch, looking at me with concern.

"It was only a nightmare" he tried to calm me down.

I could feel tears slowly rolling from my eyelids and I couldn't help but put my arms around him. He allowed it to happen.

"Sssshh, it's all right. It was just a nightmare. I'm here" he said calmly and cradled me gently in his arms.

Only now did I notice that he had taken off his shirt and was only sitting there in boxer shorts.  
I said nothing and cried against his bare chest. He kept trying to comfort me and gently stroked my back while he held me tight.

I suddenly felt the urge to be close to him. Even closer than now. And before I knew it, my lips were already on his. I flinched as soon as I realized what I had just done.

"Sorry" I murmured softly.

He looked at me slightly startled. I assumed that he would now turn away from me. But suddenly I felt him embrace my face with his hands and then put his lips on mine. He was careful and gentle. Probably he did not want to rush anything.  
He loosened after a few seconds and then put his forehead on mine.

"I've wanted to do that all day long" he whispered softly and smiled.

"Well then, why don't you go ahead?" I asked with a slightly mischievous smile.

"With the greatest pleasure" he said and again surrounded my lips with those of his.

This time he was less careful. He pulled me closer and intensified the kiss. He ran his tongue over my lower lip and nibbled it slightly. I opened my lips willingly and with great pleasure and our tongues carefully explored each other's. My hands found his neck and then buried themselves in his hair and gently pulled on it. With one hand he reached behind my head and loosened my hair band. He did the same and pulled my hair gently while burying himself in it. His other hand moved to my waist and pulled me even closer.

Then suddenly he lifted me into his arms and stood up. He did not let go of me and continued kissing me. He slowly walked to the stairs and climbed them with me in his arms. He still did not interrupt the kiss. At the top he laid me gently on my bed. He lay partly beside and partly on top of me and kissed me further. He only released himself when the air was slowly running out and we had to catch our breath.

He looked deep into my eyes. There was so much warmth and kindness in his eyes. With his one hand he gently stroked my hair and cheek. He smiled at me again before he kissed me once more with feeling. Then he turned away from me, lay down next to me and pulled me tight and held me in his arms.

I felt strangely safe and secure in his strong arms and with this feeling I finally fell into a restful sleep.


	8. Chapter 8

The next morning I woke up with a smile on my face. It intensified as I thought about last night. He had actually kissed me. I could hardly believe my luck but I was also afraid of what would happen next.

Today we would go to the police and end this once and for all with Liam.  
I slowly turned to the still sleeping body beside me. He looked completely peaceful and breathed calmly. A light strand fell on his face and I gently and gently brushed it away with my hand. I paused briefly as he sighed slightly. He did not wake up.

I smiled at the sight of him and got up from the bed carefully. The day had just begun. I realised that the sun was slowly crossing the horizon. With my feet quietly I crept to my downstairs bathroom. I did not want to wake him.

After I had freshened up, I went to the kitchen to make coffee. I tried to ignore the package I had thrown into the corner the night before.  
With my coffee I stood in front of my window and watched the sunrise. It would be a beautiful day again today. 

My thoughts went back to the past days. How I first met Ben, the party and then our day together yesterday. I was torn from my thoughts when I suddenly felt two strong hands on my hip.

"Good morning" he whispered into my ear with his deep rough voice.

Immediately my neck hairs stood up. How could a man have such a deep sexy voice?

"Have you slept well?" he then asked me. Still close to me.

I turned around carefully and saw that he had already put his shirt on.  
"Very well, after I was in your arms" I answered honestly.  
"And you?"

"Also" he said and smiled at me.  
"So, are you ready?" he then asked me. I knew exactly what he was getting at. And honestly, I wasn't.  
Instead, I took his hands in mine.

"Not yet. I'd like to do something else first" I said and smiled seductively at him. Then I wrapped my hands around his neck, pulled him closer to me and covered his lips with mine. He returned the kiss immediately.   
Again I felt this urge in me to want to be closer to him. To want to feel him closer. Carefully I released myself from his lips and walked on to his neck. I kissed him and sucked on him. He moaned. I was about to unbutton his shirt when he grabbed my hands and pulled away carefully.  
I stopped in my actions and looked at him in shock.

"Are you sure you want to do this? I mean, after what you told me?" he asked with slight concern.

But I just smiled at him and then crossed my hands with his.

"It's okay," I replied then and continued to caress his neck.

"Yes but --"

I cut off his word by putting my finger on his lips.

"Ben, it's really all right. I want it and now damn it, take me here and now!" I then asked him. I wanted him so much. I wanted to feel him. His lips on my body. To feel him inside me.

That's all I needed to say when he lifted me gently onto the sideboard with a tug and immediately sealed my lips with his. He kissed me violently and then moved on to my neck. He caressed him with tender kisses and bit gently. My breath gradually became faster. I stopped him briefly, only to pull my shirt over my head. He looked at me. His eyes were dark and I could see deep desire and lust in them. He grabbed me by the waist, pulled me closer and kissed me with passion. Then he moved on to my naked bosom and first enclosed my one erect nipple with his mouth and sucked and nibbled slightly and then the other. I moaned under his touches and bent my back slightly under his touches. I finally unbuttoned his shirt and pushed it off his body. I slowly ran my hands across his bare chest, gently stroking his abdominal muscles and then sliding them down to his cock, I could clearly feel his erection. He moaned as I put my hands around him. His hands were on my thigh and almost hesitantly moved between my thighs. I spread them further to give him better access. With a deft movement he pulled off my panties. With his fingers he now slowly moved along my inner thigh to my most sensitive spot. Once again I groan as his fingers slowly penetrated me. I pulled his head towards me and kissed him. He pushed another finger inside me and stretched me further, panting against my lips.  
"Do you have condoms here?" he then asked.

"Not necessary. I have taken other measures. And now take me at last!" I replied. My breath quick.

Then suddenly everything went very fast. He pulled down his shorts and grabbed me. Then he penetrated me, at first hesitantly and carefully. When he heard me moan in his ear with pleasure and pushed me closer to him, he pushed faster. He filled me up completely. I put my legs around his hip to let him penetrate even deeper. Again and again he pushed into me and became faster and deeper each time. I slowly had difficulties to keep myself on the narrow sideboard. I put my arms around him. He pressed me with his hands on the plate and held me. I gradually felt myself approaching my climax and it seemed to be the same. He pushed hard once more before we both reached our climax at the same time and then fell on each other exhausted. 

A little later he raised his head and looked deep into my eyes.

"That was..." he gasped.

"I know" I replied with shallow breath.

Then he kissed me once more and then lifted me carefully off the sideboard.

After a refreshing shower later we were already sitting in my car on the way to the city. I had stowed the ominous package in the boot. I did not want to be exposed to it in the driver's compartment.   
Ben wanted to go back to the hotel and change his clothes before we went on to the police station. Again and again we glanced at each other furtively or just smiled at each other.   
We decided to go to the hotel separately because of possible paparazzi.  
Again I parked in a side street. Ben went outside first. I waited until he was around the corner and then got out too. I was just about to lock my car when I suddenly felt someone coming up behind me and then suddenly pressed a cloth over my mouth.  
I wanted to defend myself. I wanted to scream. And then I fell into a deep sleep.


	9. Chapter 9

Benedict POV

I didn't like to leave Lucy alone, but I didn't want her to have to deal with those annoying paparazzi either. Besides, she would follow immediately.   
On the way to my hotel room, my thoughts kept circling around last night and this morning. It was incredible. I don't know what this woman did to me, but I knew that I wouldn't want it to end so quickly.   
The first time I saw her I was blown away but then that night of the party in that dress. I was blown away. And I felt that I wanted to get to know her better and spend more time with her.

I was just walking down the hall to my room when Paul met me. I told him that the young woman from yesterday was about to come over and that he should please take her to my room.  
He understood, smiled and then went on to the lift.  
I entered my room with a smile on my face. I remembered that we hadn't had breakfast yet. So I decided to order a proper breakfast from room service and surprise Lucy.  
Afterwards I walked to my bedroom and picked out some fresh clothes. A little later I stepped out again and could see that Lucy was still not there. She was probably held up somewhere. I thought nothing of it and just waited a little while. But when room service showed up with breakfast and Lucy still wasn't there, I got worried.  
I decided to look for her.   
She was not in the hotel lobby and was not seen. So I went on to her car.  
When I turned around the corner and into the street where she had let me out before, I could see that her car had disappeared as well.  
She was gone. But where had she gone? Had she perhaps been afraid to go to the police after all? Or was it all just a game? Had she planned it that way from the beginning, just to get closer to me?

'No, this cannot be! She's not like that!' I thought to myself.

Slightly disappointed and also a little angry I ran back to the hotel, up to my room. All the time I was thinking about the past days and this morning and just couldn't explain why she was gone now.   
I will just wait a little longer. Maybe she'll get in touch with me and can explain everything. And if not, then I'll just go and see her at work tomorrow and confront her.

Lucy POV

I don't know how long I was unconscious. I heard someone screaming and felt a rather rough jolt on my shoulder.

"Wake up, bitch!"

Slowly I opened my eyes. Everything was still very blurred and unclear but I could recognize the voice among tens of thousands.

"Liam?" I asked carefully and lifted my head carefully. I felt and saw now that I was sitting on a chair and my hands were gagged. 

I saw Liam grinning at me. But it disappeared quickly. Now he suddenly had a look on his face that instantly froze the blood in my veins. Then he threw something into my lap. I could see that it was some kind of photo. I blinked in disbelief when I saw what was shown in the picture above. It was Ben and me in my kitchen this morning.   
I swallowed and I felt a little nauseous as I realised that Liam might have been watching us the whole time.

"What --" I asked, but he cut me off.

"How could you? How could you sleep with someone else? And then with him as well? he asked in a snide tone, showing me every single photo.  
"We belong together! You belong to me!" he shouted then.

"Liam, I don't belong to you! You are crazy! You need help!" I yelled.  
"Exactly, that's what Anna had said to me at the time"

"Who is Anna?" I then asked.

"Anna. Oh, she was my friend before you. She was a bit like you. Very ambitious and extraordinary. She could have gone far, but then..."

"Could have"? Oh, my God, he didn't.  
"You killed her?" I asked in a shaky voice.

"She wouldn't listen. She wanted to leave me and I could not let her go. She had been screaming the whole time. I should piss off and leave her alone. Well, and then suddenly she was quiet," he explained and grinned smugly again.

"Un...and what are you going to do with me now? Are you going to kill me too?" I asked. It was more of a whisper. My whole body trembled.

"Lucy, Lucy, Lucy, Lucy, my sweet Lucy," he said. He came slowly towards me, leaned over and gently stroked my cheek with one of his hands. Disgusted, I tried to pull my head away.  
"II tell you how this is gonna go down. You "re never gonna see that guy again. I've placed an explosive on your body and here's where I have the trigger," he said, holding a small remote control in the air.  
"You're going to meet him and then you're going to tell him that it's over and that it was just a little game of yours. And don't think you can tell him anything else. I will be watching and listening to you the whole time. And then after you dump him, you're gonna come with me. We're gonna leave this town and go somewhere just the two of us."

I swallowed hard again and noticed tears slowly gathering in my eyes. I blinked several times. And then I noticed an object tied around my chest. It must be the explosive Liam was talking about. 

"YOU ARE SICK! A DAMNED PSYCHOPATH" I then shouted at him." 

He sighed intensely.   
"I don't think you really understand. Either you do what I want you to do or your little toy will suffer. I don't care if he is a famous star. He will suffer like this and then it will be your turn! Either you end this or I end both your lives! And the photos. I'm sure the tabloids will be all over it"

Startled, I looked at him. He could not do that. This must not happen. I didn't want Ben to get involved in this. Reluctantly, I agreed with him.

"No. Wait! I'm gonna do it!" I stopped him.

Liam turned to me and smiled. Then suddenly a message signal sounded from a phone. My phone. I saw him take it out of his pocket and open the message.

"Oh, looks like it's time," he said happily.  
"Meet him in half an hour at the café near the Haymarket Theatre." he explained and untied my wrist.  
I realised that while I was unconscious, Liam must have written Ben a note and asked him to meet me. He seemed to have planned it all. 

"Here, put this on. I don't want everyone to see my masterpiece" he asked me and threw me a jumper. Shocked, I discovered that it was one of my clothes.

"Oh yes, right. I had to take precautions. By the way, you have a very nice flat. And only the garden" he raved now. He wore that disgusting grin on his lips again.

Carefully I put on my jumper. Then he grabbed me roughly by my arm and pulled me from my chair, out of the flat and up to my car. Roughly he threw me on the back and tied me up again.

He slowly set the car in motion and drove towards the centre. Again and again he looked at me through the rear-view mirror and grinned at me disgustingly. 

"By the way, what do you think of my flat?" he asked at some point.

But before I could say anything, he went on.  
"Well, it's not really mine. An older man was kind enough to lend it to me. Okay, admitting it is not entirely voluntary"

"Liam? Did you... did you kill him?" I asked softly. The last word was just a whisper.

He said nothing more, he just smiled smugly.


	10. Chapter 10

A little later Liam stopped at the place where I was to meet Ben. I recognised this place only too well. Ben and I had already been here yesterday during our citytour. I slowly stopped thinking about why Liam had chosen this particular place.

Then he released me from my shackles.  
"Well, you know what you have to do! Go now and don't you dare try any tricks. You know there are explosives on your body and if I hear anything that you're going to betray me, then BOOM!" he replied warningly and pushed me towards the café. He himself stood a little bit aside with a newspaper in front of his face at the nearby fountain and watched me very closely.

I slowly walked on to the entrance of the café and could already spot Ben in front of it. He saw me too and slowly moved towards me. I took another deep breath. Man, that was harder than I thought.

"Lucy, what's wrong? Why have you disappeared?" he asked anxiously.

"Ben, listen. I've been thinking. I just can't do this anymore. I'm going to leave Leicester. It was all a mistake. I'll say goodbye to Amanda and Sam and the kids. Jeremy, Melissa and especially little KLARA MEID. And then I'll be gone"   
Of course it was risky but after all Liam didn't know the names of the children I had grown so fond of. I only hoped that Ben would understand.  
"I also wanted to say goodbye and tell you that you can find the jacket you lent me on Friday night at Amanda's.  
Well, goodbye then!" I said and turned around slowly.

But Ben held me by my wrist. It made my sleeve slide up higher and I could make out slight red streaks from the cuffs. A quick look at Liam told me that he hadn't noticed. So I decided to ignore it. Maybe Ben would notice it.

"Wait! You can't just leave like this! And what do you mean, it was all a mistake?" he then asked and turned back to himself.

Oh man, now the time had come. My whole body resisted but Liam listened and it was one of his conditions.  
Again I took a deep breath and gave a deep sigh.

"This, Ben. This with us" I replied and pointed with my free hand between us.  
"I should never have had sex with you!"

"A...but why? You said that you wanted to," he whispered softly. He did not understand.

"Don't you understand? None of it was real! It was all just a game!"  
Tears were streaming down my face.  
"I... I never want to see you again!" I cried out in tears.

I could clearly see something breaking inside him. And I felt it too. My heart was breaking. I did not want to admit it to myself but I felt something for this man. I am in love with him. And now that it hadn't even really started yet, I had to end it again. I didn't know if he would feel the same way but I could see that it had really affected him deeply.

I tore myself away from him and left him there with a heavy heart. I did not even dare to turn around again.

Benedict POV

I stood motionless for a while and looked in the direction she disappeared. I couldn't believe what she had just said. "None of it was real! It was all just a game!"  
I felt a stab in my heart as those words left her mouth. Her oh so well-formed mouth with those beautiful soft lips. I didn't want to believe it. It couldn't be. Not her.   
Then suddenly I remembered what else she had said. Little Klara Meid. Who was she? As far as I knew, there was no Klara Meid on the ward. And what was that with my jacket, she was with her friend Amanda. And then her wrist. I could clearly see red stripes. Almost as if she had been tied up.  
No, something was wrong. She would never say such a thing. Something must have happened and she was trying to give me clues without being noticed. 

I decided to go to the only place where I could be helped now.

I arrived at the police station after only ten minutes. The traffic here was somehow much quieter than in London or in the cities where I had been before.   
So with quick steps I walked up the short stairs to the entrance. I pushed the doors open. In an instant it became quiet in the room. I ignored the curious glances that were directed at me and immediately went to the visitors' counter.

"I want to report a missing person" I replied to the officer behind the counter.

He seemed slightly nervous and told me to take a seat in the waiting room. A freelancer would come and get me.

It was not long before a large, corpulent man in a suit, middle-aged, came in and asked me to follow him.  
He brought me into a large room with several desks. There was no real question of discretion, I thought to myself. But a little later it turned out to be a stroke of luck. So I sat down at his desk opposite him and immediately described what had happened. Not far away from me, an elderly lady was sitting at another desk. I told the official in front of me about the incident at the party, the package she had received this morning and the previous meeting.  
The officer, Chief Inspector Burton, listened to me carefully all the time and took a few notes now and again.

In passing I heard the elderly lady speak.

"I tell you. It is strange. Mr Wilkerson, Alfred never said anything about a nephew. As far as I know, he has no family left." ...I heard her tell it.

"He's also always been very reliable when it comes to our regular meetings. ...and the other tenants of the house have not seen him since..."

Then the officer wanted to know what the man, the alleged nephew of him, looked like.  
"Well he was tall, young. Had dark blond hair and very light eyes. Very pale blue. They immediately caught my eye. He was dressed quite normally," she then explained.

At that moment a flash of inspiration came to me. The young man she described there was Liam.   
"It is Liam. Her ex-boyfriend, Liam Drake. He kidnapped her. The older lady back there had just described him," I yelled.

Chief Inspector Burton looked past me in confusion to the table where the old lady was sitting.  
"Wait, what did you say? What was the name?"

"LIAM DRAKE" I told him.

"And what was the name of the girl who seemed strange to you?"

"KLARA MEID"

The official quickly wrote down the names on a notepad and scribbled something.  
After a few seconds he shouted at the officer who had taken the elderly lady's statement. 

"What is the address the lady gave you?" he asked him.

The officer told him and Burton immediately called for a couple of officers to go to the address he had given.  
Burton turned to me.  
"Mr. Cumberbatch. I'm afraid I have to ask you to leave now," he said politely.

"If Lucy is really there with him, then I want to go with you!" I asked him.

"Listen, Mister. If it really is this Mr. Drake, and if he is the way you described him to me, it could be dangerous. I cannot be responsible for you getting in the way. But we will get back to you as soon as possible" he replied apologetically.

Then he turned around and disappeared from the room with a quick step. I didn't want to and couldn't just wait here like this. I followed him unobtrusively.


	11. Chapter 11

During the whole trip back to the flat I did not say a word. I kept sobbing and it broke my heart when I remembered the look on his face. Again and again I thought about how I could do such a thing. How I could do that to him. 

It didn't take too long and Liam stopped my car and dragged me back with him. Once in the flat, he placed me on the chair again and tied me up again.

"What is that for?" I asked, slightly curious and confused.

"Just as a precaution. I don't want you to leave!"

"Why should I? I still have the explosives. I can't disappear either way." 

"Oh, yes, the explosives. It's a dummy. There were never any real explosives on your body, my darling," he explained to me with a smug grin. 

"What?" I asked incredulously.

Then he took a knife from the kitchen and cut my jumper and tore it off my body. Slowly he drove his hands under my shirt. I shivered under his touch. He grinned at me again with that disgusting smile.

"It's just roll fondant. Nothing else. See?" and put a piece of the supposed bomb in my mouth.

"You... you mean I have --"

"---broken his heart for nothing?" he cut me off.  
"Yes my darling you did and how you did it! But look at it this way, now we can finally be together!"

I couldn't believe it. It was all just a fake. I hurt Ben and I hurt myself for nothing and it was all because of a fucking fake!

"YOU BASTARD! I'll never be with you. You ruined my life!" I yelled at him.

But before he could say anything back, there was a sudden, violent knock at the door. 

"HELLO! Mr Wilkerson?" it asked from the other side.

Liam held his hand in front of my mouth to suppress any screams. 

"Sssh, maybe he'll disappear again" 

THIS IS THE POLICE! OPEN THE DOOR!"

For a moment I felt a trace of relief rising in my body. So Ben had understood my clues. I had to smile slightly but it disappeared again instantly when I felt Liam angrily glaring at me.

"YOU MISTRATED ME!" he shouted.

I knew I had to do something. I was afraid that otherwise the police would disappear again. So somehow I tried to get my hand out from under my mouth. I bit it as hard as I could and he let go immediately. Then I screamed for help and hoped they could hear me.

"OW, you little SLUT!" he yelled again. He grabbed me by my hair and pulled my head back rudely. Then he held the knife to my throat.

Again shouts rang out at the door.

"POLICE. OPEN THIS DOOR IMMEDIATELY!"

I screamed again. And then suddenly the door flew open and several officers rushed in at gunpoint.

"NO STEPS FURTHER OR I CUT HER THROAT THROUGH!" Liam yelled at them and increased the pressure of the knife.

"Mr Drake. Put the knife down and step away from the woman," cried one of the officers and continued to point the gun at him.

Liam didn't hear but continued to increase the pressure. I could feel the cold metal slowly cutting into my flesh and blood dripping down. 

"Liam please. Give up. It's over," I begged. 

"MR. DRAKE! PUT THE KNIFE DOWN! AND GIVE UP! There is no escape!" cried one of the officers now.

Then I felt Liam slowly remove the knife from my neck and saw in the corners of my eyes how he wanted to put it carefully on the floor. But just before he wanted to put it down he stopped and screamed.

"NO!" then he picked up the knife again and tried to push it straight into my side, when suddenly a shot sounded. 

An officer had recognised the situation and shot Liam in the leg. He was writhing on the floor in pain. The knife was kicked away by an officer and Liam was immediately taken into custody. Then they came towards me and loosened my shackles. I heard another officer call for the rescue services.

After a few minutes they came through the front door with a stretcher. Liam was positioned on it and carried outside. The paramedic then came towards me and looked at my wounds. When he discovered the bomb on my body, he panicked and wanted to inform one of the officers immediately. I stopped him.

"Not necessary. It is only a dummy. It's just a standard roll fondant" 

The paramedic looked at me in amazement and astonishment. He ordered an officer to come and take a closer look.

In the meantime, I saw an empty body bag being carried in. I saw the officers pointing at a door and a little later the body bag, now with its contents, was carried out. The room was secured. It was probably the elderly gentleman who had actually owned this flat. The paramedic dressed my wounds and an officer questioned me. I could not answer. I was in shock and looked stunned at the men with the body bag on the stretcher.  
Benedict POV

I tracked Chief Inspector Burton and the police to a housing estate with several brick apartment buildings. When they finally stopped and stormed into a block of flats, I paused and hid myself away. My eyes were on the house the whole time.  
Hopefully she was in there and hopefully they were not too late.

I stood there for what felt like an eternity when finally something started moving again. Several people had already gathered near the house and were waiting curiously to see what would happen. Ambulances arrived and also stormed into the house. A little later they came out again with a man on a stretcher. He was handcuffed. I realised it was this Liam. But where was Lucy?  
Again I looked towards the house, when suddenly a few more men came out with a body bag on a stretcher. My heart stopped and tears gathered in my eyes.  
No, no, no! This could not be. It simply could not be.

Now I came out of my cover and ran towards the Chief Inspector as fast as I could. I was just about to ask him who the deceased was when I suddenly saw another person coming out. She was carrying a blanket over her shoulders. The paramedics were blocking my view so that I could not see who it was. But then suddenly I recognised her. It was Lucy.

With quick steps I moved towards her. I ignored any warnings or prompts and then stopped in front of her. She had not yet noticed me. Her gaze lay on the floor and was stiff. She was probably in shock.   
Then she looked up. She smiled slightly. Tears flowed down her cheeks. She threw off the blanket and then threw herself into my arms. She kept sobbing and I stroked her back gently and comfortingly. I immediately returned her embrace and then whispered softly to her: "I thought I had lost you".  
Slowly I felt tears gathering in my eyes as well. 

"Never! Oh Ben, I'm so sorry!" she sobbed.

I did not reply. I just pulled her closer to my chest. I didn't want to let go of her. Ever again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remark: Actually I wanted to finish the story here. Or what do you think? I am curious what you think about this? ;)


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